Gera seals Baggies return

West Bromwich Albion have finalised a deal to bring former midfielder Zoltan Gera back to The Hawthorns.

Last Updated: 02/08/11 9:18pm

Gera: Has returned to West Brom on a two-year contract after deciding to leave Fulham

West Bromwich Albion have finalised a deal to bring former midfielder Zoltan Gera back to The Hawthorns after he left Premier League rivals Fulham.

Gera scored 25 goals in 155 appearances during four years with the Baggies before moving to Fulham on a free transfer in 2008.

He has opted against renewing his contract at Craven Cottage in favour of a return to West Brom, who are now managed by his former Fulham boss Roy Hodgson.

The Hungarian has signed a two-year contract, with the option of a further 12 months in the Baggies' favour, and Hodgson is delighted to capture the 32-year-old.

Very popular

"Having decided not to renew his contract at Fulham, Zoltan has come back to the club where he started his career in England," Hodgson told the club's official website.

"The last time he played at West Bromwich Albion he was a very popular figure with everyone at the club, not least of all the fans.

"I of course know him well and admired him in the two years we worked together at Fulham, where he was an integral part of the team that did well during those years.

"I think it is a massive coup for the club that we have been able to persuade him to come back to West Brom despite the many other offers he had, because he is a player that is widely appreciated in the Premier League and abroad.

"I think it is an excellent signing and he is a player I hope will do as well in the coming seasons as he has done in the past seasons with West Brom and Fulham.

"In Zoltan Gera we've acquired not only a first-class player but a first-class person and we think that's also important to the way we want the club to move forward."

Gera had been lined up for a return to West Brom for several weeks and he has now passed a medical following a recent ankle injury.

His recovery is going according to plan, however, Hodgson is unlikely to have his latest signing available for selection until mid-September.